Rosie Dunne

By Cecelia Ahern

Rosie Dunne is an entire novel made up of e-mails, letters, instant messages and other correspondence. Incredibly, the story Ahern tells is in no way lacking despite her challenging medium.

The characters in this novel are endearing and real, facing real-life challenges that are complicated and heart-wrenching. Rosie and Alex are childhood friends, soul mates, really, that endure the whims of fate as their lives lead them to each other again and again only to face ironic twists that tear them apart. Despite this, they remain close friends and help each other through life's most bitter rejections. This is a story of unrequited love, in a way, but what I appreciate about that is the lack of cliches and silly, prideful insecurity. Love is unrequited because the characters care more for each other and their perceived feelings and circumstances than about themselves and, not only do they remain emotionally attached, but continue to move on in their own lives rather than dwelling on what they feel could never be.

I am impressed and surprised at how fast I fell in love with Rosie and Alex and even more so that Ahern was able to invoke such emotion and depth without real dialogue or imagery. This is a book that made me laugh, cry and shake my fist in annoyance and anger. The enduring loyalty and unconditional love between Rosie and Alex is rare and this book made me feel hopeful and uplifted.

I love this book. There is some crude language used in this book.

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

by Chelsea Handler

This book was not at all what I expected. I had an idea that it would be a typical autobiography chronicling at least portions of her life from childhood to adulthood. Not so. This was a somewhat sporadic, if chronological, collection of isolated events and anecdotes throughout her preteens and, mostly, her twenties. That being said, I have never laughed out loud at a book as hard as I did while reading this one. She's a comedian, so of course these stories are told in a humorous way, but her blunt and sometimes crude depiction of her personality and life sent me into multiple rounds of hysterics. My favorite chapter was titled, Dim Sum and Then Some. She relates an experience of going to a spa and receiving a very shady massage, ending with the exclamation "My body, my choice!" Her fascination with "nuggets" and vodka is also hilarious as she expresses her thoughts on these most beloved indulgences. This book is great for people that don't get offended easily as it contains very straightforward depictions and language.